


Grooms, VIP Fitting Rooms, and Other Things That Are Off Limits

by PointyObjects



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Misunderstandings, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:31:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25310161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PointyObjects/pseuds/PointyObjects
Summary: There are two rules in the world of Bridal Retail: 1) Everyone looks good in eggshell, and do not, under any circumstances, fall for the groom.Sparks Fly In July Prompt: First Kiss
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Kouga
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56
Collections: Sparks Fly in July





	Grooms, VIP Fitting Rooms, and Other Things That Are Off Limits

“Kagome; you’re needed in alterations.”

Fighting back a sigh in in the presence of her manager, Kagome excused herself from the bridal party at the front, and made her way to the back of the store. To say that she hated going to the alterations room was an understatement; it was cramped and noisy with the sounds of gossiping and bored seamstresses and the air thick with the smell of their cheap cigarettes. Knowing she would probably be stuck back there for the remainder of her shift, she ran a hand over the bridal gowns she passed. The rack before her was a collection of ivory dresses in vintage cuts. Fewer brides were as enraptured as she with the fabric covered buttons and delicate lace detailing. But Kagome passed by the dresses nearly everyday, soaked in what details she could and stored them in the back of her mind. She used to carry a small sketchbook with her to take notes, but one of the more catty seamstresses found her poring over it one day, and the teasing that resulted was so relentless, the sketchbook rarely left her apartment. 

Bracing herself for an afternoon of being completely annoyed, she entered the room, and looked for an empty machine. Before she could take her seat, she was set upon by one of the older seamstresses, who’d found her niche in the bridal shop, and barely moved for the better part of a century. 

“What are you doing back here?”

Joann was no manager to Kagome, but it was often easier to answer than put up a fight. “Robin asked me to come back.”

“Nah uh, _honey_ ,” she said, the nickname sounding more like vinegar. “They need you on the floor.”

Clenching her fists, Kagome stomped out of the room, convinced that her time was going to be wasted moving from one part of the boutique to the next, relaying messages to people who could very well do so themselves. 

There were very few wedding parties on the sales floor, and most were already being taken care of by consultants. Looking between the racks of dresses, Kagome looked for her manager, or anyone who looked to be in need of help. Passing by a rack of plastic-covered princess cut dresses, she nearly shrieked when someone grabbed her arm from behind. 

“Do you work here?!” the woman asked frantically. In her hands she balanced a phone, purse, wallet, clipboard, car keys and pair of white-framed sunglasses. Kagome nodded and was immediately pulled across the sales floor, to the very seldom visited Menswear section. It was usually the landing place of grooms dragged to the boutique for some odd reason; as most just visited the shop next door for tuxes and suits. Kagome guessed that it was the wall of mirrors that usually deterred grooms from trying things on, not to mention the twenty or so pairs of eyes that were constantly lurking around. Stopping in front of said mirror, the woman gestured to a tall man, standing on one of the fitting platforms like a cake on display. “We are in _desperate_ need of help.”

Kagome nodded again, and realized two things: the woman before her had the most shocking red hair she’d ever seen, and Kagome discreetly examined her roots to see if it was real. And the second, she didn’t know exactly what was needed from her, even though she was sure the clearly stressed woman would tell her sooner rather than later. The man before them turned, and Kagome found herself at an unusual loss for words. Thankfully, her new companion was more than willing to fill in for her.

"You do alterations, right? Because this is just...all wrong. I mean, the pants, and the jacket, and the lapel, and...it's all _wrong_ ," she 'explained'.

Kagome examined the cut of the pants and jackets. She could tell it was an older design, and the fading at the hems told of its age. Kagome smiled at the woman, but stepped forward, getting the gentleman's attention. 

"May I?" she asked quietly, waiting until he nodded to move her hands over the garment. The sleeves were a few centimeters too long, same with the pant legs, and the lapels were lined with a silk that was in need of repair. "It definitely needs some love…" she began, fingering the soft black fabric.

"It's a hundred years old-"

"It's _vintage-_ "

"He's insisting on wearing his father's tux. Can you believe that? His father's tux from a thousand years ago."

Kagome ignored the banter between them, and motioned for the man to remove the jacket. He did so smoothly, and it fell from his shoulders like water off a duck's back. The long black ponytail flicked from around his back and onto his shoulder. Kagome followed the motion and pulled her gaze away to examine the jacket. The brand was a popular one from several decades ago, and aside from some fraying and fit issues, it was in good condition.

"I can fix this," Kagome offered, turning back to the red-haired woman behind her. It was clear who was the more forceful in the relationship, and directed her ideas in that direction. 

The woman, however, didn't seem pleased, and narrowed her eyes at the man on the dias, who smiled devilishly down at the both of them. "You just had to have your way, didn't you?"

"I thought it was a nice change from _you_ always having _your_ way…"

Kagome pressed her lips together and tried to find something else on the jacket to examine. She was no stranger to bickering couples, and at least this pair had the decency to avoid low blows and mentions of each other's mothers' so far.

"I think I should be able to have this one thing." The man before her wasn't asking permission, and Kagome had to give him a silent applause for that. Most grooms were so eager to please their wives-to-be, that they gave up all control over the wedding day, and then had the audacity to sulk over being left out. Kagome, given her profession, could see both sides; if one party wanted to make no decisions, then someone had to step up. It seemed as though the groom wanted to at least decide what he wore, if nothing else.

"Fine," the woman asked, checking off a small box on her clipboard, and sliding the sunglasses she held over her eyes. Her movements were unrushed and Kagome found herself impressed with her ability to multitask. "Don't say I never did anything for you."

"Gee, thanks."

Turning back to Kagome, the woman spoke quickly and efficiently. "I'm having my veil custom made, so you can put all of his repairs on the same tab. Ayame Yoshida. Please and thanks."

"Of course." Kagome scrambled with the pen and pad tucked into her back pocket and scribbled the name and the words "veil/tux repair" onto the first blank page she could find. 

"Now I'm off to see a man about some party favors. Be back at the house by four, please." Her statement was directed to the man, and was neither question nor request.

"Don't you have a gaggle of bridesmaids to help with that?" he asked, smoothing the front of his tailored shirt in the mirror.

" _Four_." Ayame repeated the time again, not bothering to look back as she walked out of the doors of the large boutique. 

Kagome smiled awkwardly before beginning her rehearsed speech. "So, your tux is definitely not beyond repair. There are a few minor fit issues, and the fabric shows sign of wear, but it's nothing our team of experienced-"

Turning to face her, he addressed Kagome directly for the first time. Standing on the raised platform, he managed to not looming entirely intimidating. "Oh, I was under the impression that...I'm sorry, I thought _you_ would be...fixing it."

Kagome fought the urge to wring her hands. "I _could,_ " she began, glancing to the alterations room and the raised voices that came from it. "We have more experienced alterations experts, and…"

She trailed off as he stepped deftly off of the raised dais, and over to a pile of neatly folded clothes nearby. Pulling a phone from the pile, he turned it on, and tapped around, before presenting it to her. "Can they make something like this?"

Kagome took the phone gingerly and examined the photo. It was of a man in an impecccut tuxedo in off white. He held the jacket in his hands, revealing the vest of his tuxedo. It was fitted to his slim body and looked almost like it was made for him. 

"...this is a _corset_." He nodded at her, the beginnings of a smile on the corner of his mouth. "You want me to make you a _corset_?"

"If you think you can handle it." 

His tone was only slightly teasing, but Kagome already liked the sound of it. She blinked hard to erase the thought; there were only a few rules to working in a bridal boutique, and one of the first ones was not to fall for anyone in the bridal party, most especially the groom.

Focusing on the photo again, and hoping she wasn't blushing, Kagome spoke. "What's my timeline for this?"

"Despite her enthusiasm," he said, stepping forward to retrieve his phone. "The wedding isn't for almost three months."

Kagome sighed in relief. "That's plenty of time. I can start the alterations now, and just use the rest of the time to build you a corset." Despite herself, she was excited for the challenge. She enjoyed altering and fitting gowns, but this was something new, and Kagome looked forward to the months ahead. Already she was thinking of ideas, fabrics and stitching to employ. 

"Looking forward to it, Miss..." he told her, extending a large hand toward her. Kagome took it, and tried not to notice how his long fingers brushed against the underside of her wrist. 

"Kagome," she finished, keeping her voice level.

"Kouga." He said with a toothy grin. "Nice to meet you."

* * *

With her brow furrowed, Kagome rattled off equations in her mind. Her mutterings were less understandable, a jumble of words and numbers, and occasionally a criticism of her own method. She almost forgot she was standing in front of a living, breathing person until they spoke.

"Anything I can help you with?" Kouga's chest rumbled with the unexpected question, and Kagome's eyes snapped up to meet his. She was focusing so much on the fabric over his chest that she forgot not to look at them. In the weeks since their initial meeting, Kagome took in his features, and was determined to ignore the ones that sent her mind spiraling. She could focus on the breadth of his wide shoulders and graceful slope of his back, because she had to. Measuring him was nearly impossible without taking them into account. The way his waist narrowed was more distracting, and thus had to be ignored more. Everything else was inconsequential. If she could make it through a fitting session without looking at his hands or eyes or smile or hair, she could usually keep her composure.

Shaking her head, Kagome glanced back to her sketchbook, covered in notes, numbers and small drawings. "Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out this paneling."

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked. She hadn't asked him to stop on the raised platform for weeks, and probably wouldn't until the final fitting. As such, she stood next to him, staring into the wide mirror in front of her, and tried to best articulate her thoughts. 

"I'm trying to figure out how to panel the fabric here," she began, her hand moving from the center of his chest and down. "...and here, but, it feels too feminine when it tapers down to here." She moved her hands the breadth of his body, only touching him when necessary, so as not to make him uncomfortable. 

Kouga seemed to like the rudimentary corset she was building for him. She crafted it in muslin first, to get a feel for the placement of the panels and boning, and with enough freedom to mark and tear the fabric as needed. Aside from a few unfinished seams and the general lack of color, it was a reasonably well built corset. 

"Are you trying to cover the whole thing with, like...fabric?" Kouga asked, lifting his arms slightly and letting them drop back down. 

"That was my idea, but, I just can't figure it out," she responded, wrinkling her nose. Normally, Kagome wouldn't be so open with a client; most needed one hundred percent assurance that she knew exactly what she was doing at all times, and any hiccup could be easily resolved. But their easy manner of speaking to each led Kagome to drop her guard a little, and reveal some of her anxieties about finishing on time.

"It's a corset, right?" he asked, after a moment.

"Yeah…" Kagome said, hands on hips, and looking into the mirror, disappointed. 

"So, make it look like a corset."

"But then...it'll look like a corset…"

"But, _that's_ what it is." He told her, pointing a look at her face, and not the one in the mirror. "It'd be like...trying to make a wedding dress that looked like sweatpants. It's meant to be what it is, or something deep like that."

Kagome tried not to laugh, and failed. "Alright...looks like you're getting yourself a corset," she said, finally looking at him in his eyes. They were too blue and too deep, and the desire to linger on them was a little too strong. Feeling goosebumps at the nape of her neck, Kagome stepped back to take a breath. "I'm gonna...go get my scissors."

Walking across the boutique floor, Kagome took a moment to shake her hands and relieve her nerves of some tension. Kouga was not the first handsome guy to step into the store, nor would he be the last. The seamstresses in the alteration room were constantly commenting on the grooms that came in, going so far as to flirt with them openly as their fiancées shopped. Kagome's lip always curled at their antics; they were no less than homewreckers and she did not want to be counted among their number. She tried to keep a respectful distance from Kouga, even when he came in for fittings, bringing along with him banter and jokes and insight. She figured he was merely being nice, and tried not to feed into it too much. Judging by the ring on Ayame's slim finger, he was very happy with his bride-to-be, and for good reason. She seemed smart, well organized and accomplished. Her pale skin, long legs and curves probably didn't hurt either, and in comparison, Kagome was sure the redhead had nothing to worry about. 

Back at the mirror, Kagome set to work cutting up the muslin corset, and laying out the pieces on the floor nearby. Selecting two long strips of off white muslin, Kagome approached Kouga, who stayed in place throughout her musings.

"So, some of the panels will be fabric, matching your suit, and some will be...I can't decide, matte black or gray?" she asked, looking to him. She found herself less nervous when the conversation stayed on topics she could control. She laid the strips of fabric over his torso, moving them to find the right placement. "And then maybe one on the back to hide the boning…"

Without thinking, her arms wound around his torso, pressing the fabric to the warm curve of his side. It wasn't until her eyes were drawn up, raking over the column of his throat, his hard jaw and finally to the blue eyes that always made her forget how to convert inches to centimeters, that Kagome realized their position. 

Jumping backwards so quickly she almost lost her footing, Kagome righted herself before Kouga's hand shot out to grab her. She twirled away from his outstretched hand and hoped he wasn't offended. Her reddened face and neck she could blame on embarrassment, but not as well if he had his hands on her. 

"Sorry, I-" she began, clearing her throat into her free hand. "I apologize; I usually work with brides, and we...they-"

"I understand," Kouga laughed, adjusting the collar of his shirt. "You didn't manhandle me or anything." He finished his last statement with a grin that Kagome could not ignore, and she didn't like the way it made her toes curl up in her shoes. 

Stepping forward again, Kagome began discreetly measuring his shoulders, mentally subtracting a few millimeters. It was easier, she surmised, than trying to get physically close to him again. She had to remind herself, more often than she wanted, that while not 'married', he was engaged, and that was just as much of a commitment. 

"So, how long have you and Ayame known each other?" Kagome asked, turning to scribble his measurements on a page of her sketchbook. She said the bride's name mostly for herself, as a reminder to keep her distance from then on.

"Oh man, since we were kids," Kouga told her with a smile. It warmed her heart that he seemed devoted to his fiancee, even as he was voted 'Best Looking New Groom' amongst the seamstresses. A few wandered out onto the fitting room floor just to try and flirt, and he decidedly ignored them all. Kagome figured he only gave her the time of day because she was making something for him. 

"That's nice." Kagome wanted to ask more, but thought it better to break it off now. She already learned more about him than she meant to in the month since they met. He was open and easy to talk to, quick witted and funny. Most of all, he cared deeply about the people closest to him, especially Ayame. He always spoke well of her, something Kagome wasn't often privy to in the couples she met at the boutique. "I'll have some fabric swatches lined up for you to pick the next time you come in."

His grin was the same, and Kagome could anticipate his next words. "Looking forward to it." 

It wasn't until he dressed himself and left the store, that she realized she was too. Maybe a little too much.

* * *

"You _like_ her, don't you?!"

Kagome stopped in her tracks. She saw Kouga's car, a deep blue SUV, the same color as his eyes when he said something serious, pull up in front of the boutique, and she was excited to share her progress with him. Her sketchbook was thicker than ever; in it were copious notes, swatches taped to the firm white pages, and even a few squares of fabric stitched with different colors of thread. She wanted to know his opinion more than she cared to admit, and blamed it on artistic enthusiasm. The fact that it was ignited by a handsome, but unavailable man, was just a coincidence. She'd been similarly inspired when making a wedding dress or other such garment, with no such emotional connection to the wearer. If she could turn it off once, she could do it again.

Pressing her sketchbook to her chest and peering from behind a rack of gowns, Kagome tried to calm her breathing enough to listen. 

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Kouga said, pulling his phone from his pocket. 

"I know you better than anyone, and I know when you _like_ somebody…" Ayame only sounded a little perturbed, and Kagome silently prayed the conversation wasn't about her. "Just admit it..."

'They're not talking about me,' she thought, her knees shaking. '...that's impossible. He's, I mean, _they're_ engaged! There's no way-'

"She's fixing my dad's tux for me; don't read into it so much into it!"

'Well, crap.' Slinking back into the mostly empty alterations room, Kagome practically threw her sketchbook onto the nearest desk, and scrambled toward the mini-fridge kept in the back of the room. It was reserved only for clients, very hig-profile ones at that, and remembering thhe budget lined up just for Ayame's veil, she thought the honor was deserved. It took a minute to extract the cork from the dark green bottle, and Kagome was glad that the pop was not followed by a fountain of foam. Locating the wine glasses was easy, and Kagome filled them generously with champagne. She snatched her sketchbook from the table and used it as a makeshift tray to carry the glasses out. Standing at the doorway was Joann, by and far one of the older and more rude seamstresses, fresh from her smoke break, if the scent around her meant anything.

"Don't go falling for any of those handsome grooms, dearie…" she said in a voice that was more frog than human. 

Kagome wrinkled her nose and tried to look away from her stained teeth and faded lipstick. "No one's falling for any grooms…" she said, trying to move around her.

"That's what I said," she began, before a fit of coughing took over. Kagome turned to avoid the spray and covered the glasses as well. "But I met Husband Number Three right out there on the sales floor. Left his pretty little bride at the altar and was in my apartment by the end of the night…"

" _Gross_ ," Kagome muttered, walking away. 

"Eh, she deserved it. Picked out the ugliest wedding dress I ever saw…"

Kagome's shoulder's relaxed the farther she moved away from that room. Balancing the twin glasses on her makeshift tray, she forced a smile, and turned back to the couple.

"Ayame! Welcome back; so good to see you!"

The redhead raised an eyebrow at Kagone's enthusiastic greeting, and took a moment before returning it. "You too…"

"I brought you some champagne…" she sang, presenting the glasses to Ayame first, and then Kouga, whose eye contact she was ignoring. It was an unspoken trick in any branch of retail: whichever spouse suffered at the hands of jealousy, address them first. Kagome was able to mitigate arguments between couples (more times than she liked to recall), by maintaining contact and showing interest in the wife, or whichever party was mad at the other, so it seemed. It usually calmed the mood of the pair, at least until one was seen berating the other on the walk back to their car. "...and I had a few questions about your color scheme."

This earned her a scoff from Kouga, who had gone largely ignored by the two women. Kagome looked at him with curiosity and Ayame, with ire. Kagome almost suggested that she take his glass when, she answered.

"And what is so funny about my color scheme?"

"Nothing," Kouga started, taking the remaining glass from Kagome. "Except that you still don't have one and the wedding is less than a month away."

"I _have_ decided! It is _apricot_!"

"Uh huh, and last month it was mint green, and two months before that it was magenta-"

"I enjoy a variety of colors; how am I expected to pick just one!" Ayame exclaimed. Turning on Kagome with her voice still raised, she asked, "And why do you need to know?"

"I just...I'm the…", Kagome's stammering seemed to soften her gaze a little, and Ayame looked a little less imposing. 

"She's making a cor-" Kouga began, catching himself. "-tux for me, and probably wants to match...colors, or something."

Gaining her composure, Kagome was able to chime in without chipping over every other word. Opening her sketchbook to the desired page, she spoke more to the paper in her hands than the people in front of her. "Yes, I was able to find a similar herringbone pattern as the old suit, but the grey is a bit cooler, and I didnt want it to clash."

Ayame looked to the two of them, her frustration cooling off quickly. "Just don't pick anything to gaudy," she said after a moment, handing her nearly untouched glass back to Kagome. "I'm going to go check on my veil…"

Kagome swallowed the lump in her throat, and finally chanced a smile at Kouga. The blue button down shirt he wore made his eyes flash, and even without seeing him in the cooler shade of grey, Kagome knew that it would favor his eyes. She had to remind herself that she was neither guest of the wedding, nor bride, and her opinion didn't matter. 

"May I?" Kouga asked, smiling that smile that made Kagome feel like she was on a rollercoaster. He held out his hand in a gesture that made Kagome pass him her sketchbook without hesitation, even though she rarely showed anyone her drawings. 

Her eyes moved from his eyes to the page, trying to track what he was looking at and answering any questions he might ask. "So, the boning would go here, here and here," Kagome began, pointing to parts of her sketch. "And this fabric would-hey... _hey_!"

Before she could stop him, Kouga began turning pages in the sketchbook, revealing the other drawings she'd done. Kagome looked around, making sure her boss or any other nosy busybodies weren't around, and tried to snatch the book back without spilling the champagne. Standing almost a head taller than her, Kouga evaded her reach smoothly, still turning pages.

"Give that back!" Kagome whispered through clenched teeth.

"Did you draw all of these?" Kouga asked, extending an elbow to keep Kagone at bay. 

"Of course-"

"Have you _made_ any of them?" 

Kagome gave up trying to outreach him, and huffed as she righted her clothing. "A few…" She didn't know why she was telling him anything; no one else had even seen her creations, if they knew about them. They were projects that would probably never see the light of day, and while she wasn't happy about that, Kagome didn't know how else to make her dream of designing a reality. 

"You gonna sell some of 'em here?" he asked, eagerly. 

The sharp laughter cut him off, and Kagome thought better of it after it came out. "Sure, I'll just ask my boss to wedge a dinky little dress I made in my apartment, right between the Oleg Cassinis and the Vera Wangs. Some bride will totally buy _my_ crap when stacked up against these." Kagome didn't fight the bitterness in her voice, but it still embarrassed her. The first time she even considered showing her boss something she made landed her the derision of her coworkers. Several months later, her creations gathered dust in her apartment, with little future of being seen or admired by anyone other than herself.

"Actually, people really like buying from small businesses. Especially if they can look the maker in the eye and tell them what they like. I bet if your boss saw these, they'd sell 'em here." 

Kouga's confidence in her made Kagome want to throw her arms around his shoulders, but she shook herself from that thought as quickly as it rose up in her mind. The lingering desire in her chest was not so easily erased, and she knew she would have to deal with that later. She had only heard words of affirmation about her work from her own lips, and hearing them come from Kouga's was a pleasant change. 

"I don't think so…"

A warm hand on her arm snapped her out of the self depricating thoughts threatening to spring up. Kouga's fingers nearly wrapped around the width of her forearm, and Kagome couldn't fight the warm on her back, thinking of the hand inching its way up to her shoulder and neck. 

"Maybe when I came in for my last fitting, you'll have something of yours to show me." Kouga's eyes pulled her in, and when his hand left her arm to twine in the long hair falling over her shoulder. He removed himself from her flesh completely, but Kagome's eyes drifted shut anyway. 

Few coherent thoughts ran through her head, but the foremost of them was that she was almost entirely screwed.

* * *

Bringing her dress to the shop was a bad idea.

Wasting the entire day looking out of the boutique window was not a great idea, but not exactly "bad". 

Finding out that Kouga had to push his fitting until after shop hours, and volunteering to stay and assist him, was a very bad idea, but still not Kagome's worst.

Upon seeing Kouga, who managed to look more attractive everytime she saw him, shoving her sketchbook at him was, again, not the best idea, but also not a terrible idea.

By far, Kagome's worst decision of the night, was the one that led her to standing in the VIP Dressing Room, in a gown of her own creation.

She had only meant to _show_ it to him. Kagome managed to hide the dress in the alterations room, between some gowns returned to the shop for cleaning, and as the day waned, she would glance at it to make sure it wasn't discovered. At the end of the night, she gave it a final steaming to remove any wrinkles, and hung it on a hook in the men's section. 

Kouga arrived a few minutes after closing, but hours after anyone from alterations left, and Kagome was glad that the nosiest people in the building wouldn't be around to tease her. Not that she would give them anything to tease her about, but it was better to err on the side of caution with some people. Dressed as casually as she'd ever seen him, but still gorgeous, Kouga swept into the mostly unlit boutique just as the sun was setting. He was enthusiastic to see her design, but Kagome talked him into his tux first, noting that it was more important than anything else she made. He emerged from the men's fitting room, dressed to perfection, and a pride that Kagome had never known overtook her. She'd seen her work on models before; classmates who volunteered for student shows and exhibitions. It wasn't unusual for her to see a garment she made on a human body. But Kouga's tuxedo was her first custom piece; the first idea that she felt she really poured some sweat into, and the result was better than she hoped. The repairs to his tux were small, but made an impact. She managed to bring in the lapels and shorten the tails, to make it look more modern, and adjust the fit of the pants. The difference in the vintage fabric and the one she chose was only perceptible to a very keen eye, looking very closely. Kagome ignored the pang in her chest at the thought of Ayame, who was nice enough as stressed out brides could be, being close enough to him to notice those little changes. She hoped, above all else, that Ayame appreciated the man wearing the tux as much as she did the garment itself.

Kouga, on the other hand, gushed for what felt like hours. He stood before the mirror buttoning and unbuttoning his jacket, turning one way and then the other, to take a look at her handiwork. The real and true gushing began when he removed his jacket to admire the corset she built. 

Constructed as a vest, it fit over the pristine white shirt of Kouga's tuxedo ensemble just close enough that he could still move with ease. The panels of matte grey fabric next to the herringbone print matched the tux jacket and pants, but looked unique even without them. Her hand was deft in the way each panel tapered to his waist, making his shoulders look broad and his waist narrow, even though Kagome would argue that he didn't need her hand to make that a reality. In the back, she laced the corseted vest tight enough that the scoop of his lower back to his backside was evident, but not too showy. The fabric stretched over his chest in a way that made Kagome want to run her hands from his collarbone down, but she resisted the urge as she squeezed her sketchbook and pressed it to her chest. The smile on his face was contagious, but she still held her breath to hear what he thought of it.

Turning to her, Kouga looked ready to wax poetic. "Kagome, this is... _amazing_." Running his large hands down the front of the corseted vest, he released a breath. 

"How's the fit? Is it-" Kagome started, before Kouga leapt down from the raised platform to stand as close to her as he ever had, save for the times she was measuring him. The scent emanating from him was intoxicating and dulling her senses. She could not be falling for a groom three days before his wedding. It was unheard of, and also more than a little tacky. 

"It's _perfect,_ " he said, breathing the last word like it was something exotic and forbidden. The word probably wasn't meant to sound so seductive, but the result it had on Kagome surely was. 

Licking her lips, Kagome tried to pull away, but only managed an inch. She wanted to ask about the new length of the sleeves, or some other useless detail that could take her mind away from the man in front of her.

"Now, all I need is someone standing next to me, in an equally fetching outfit…"

Realization dawned on Kagome and the urge to back up finally manifested itself as she fell into a plush, ivory chair, meant for families to sit and scrutinize the bride and groom's choices in attire. "Kouga, I can't…" Kagome began, though she couldn't really think of a reason why. Management was gone for the day, and she knew the dress she brought with her fit (mostly). The only thing that came to mind, keeping her seated was that it would inevitably hurt more standing next to Kouga, with a picture in her mind of what could have been, knowing it never would be.

His grin told her to live a little, and after checking the door, again, Kagome found herself in the VIP fitting room, trembling in a wedding dress she had no business wearing.

"You okay in there?" 

Kagome jumped at the voice, and put her hand over the door. She knew Kouga wouldn't open it without her permission, but she wasn't ready for him to see her yet. 

She designed the dress with a taller model in mind, and as such, the hem dragged on the ground. The front of the dress and train meant to hide the feet entirely, but Kagome had to lift her feet to walk any considerable distance. It was an otherwise plain white dress, cut in a mermaid style on the bottom and a sweetheart neckline at the top. The material was matte white, and meant to fall in a long line down the body. The part of the dress that took the longest to construct by far, was the cape. Kagome knew that caped dresses were nothing knew, but she was still proud of her design.

The cape was made of the most expensive fabric she'd purchased to date; semi-sheer organza, inlaid with a webbed pattern of tiny pearls and crystals. The weight of the embellishments was just enough to give it some movement as the wearer walked, but the silhouette stayed light and easy. The fabric fell in soft pleats over the shoulder, cut to the waist in the front, and over the long train in the back. Kagome was extra careful with that portion of the dress, even as the sound of pearls and crystals tapping against the mirror at her back told her she'd spent too much time in the room.

Finally turning the latch, Kagome stepped out cautiously, mindful of the hem of her dress. She only had time to pull her hair back into a messy, low bun, and avoided looking in the mirrors she passed on the way to the display area. She kept her gaze to the floor as she approached the seating area where Kouga waited, and heard him stand as she moved closer. After the span of several heartbeats, she still heard nothing, and finally ventured to look up.

Kouga stood in front of her, somewhat stunned and entirely silent, taking in the dress from head to toe. Kagome immediately felt the urge to defend herself; in her mind, she made the dress for someone with more height and less girth, and her hands went instinctively to cover the wide span of her hips. 

"Wow…" he said, approaching somewhat tentatively.

"It's just a prototype-"

"It's... _you're_ beautiful," Kouga told her, stepping close enough to smooth the glistening fabric between his fingers.

Kagome felt her resolve crack. She asked herself why she thought this was a good idea, and if she knew how bad an idea it was, why did she did it anyway. Seeing him in a tuxedo partially of her making was hard enough, knowing they would have nothing to their story beyond the doors of the shop was hard enough, but bringing her own work into it was even harder. Kagome knew she could never look at the dress the same after that night.

Without warning, Kouga moved to close the space between them, his knuckles brushing the inside of her forearm and making Kagome's eyes drift shut. Kouga's hand was soon at her back, and she anchored herself by holding onto his arm as well, with the feel of his warm breath over her face.

Kagome exhaled herself and forced her eyes to open. She turned her head sharply to one side, narrowly missing the lips she could not stop thinking about for months. 

"I'm sorry...I can't," she told him, a hair above a whisper. 

Moving away slowly, but maintaining contact, Kouga blushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry too, I just-"

"I shouldn't have-I shouldn't have done this-" Kagome stuttered, bringing a hand to her temple and backing away. She bent to lift the hem of her gown, revealing her bare feet. She wanted to run away, shocked at the humiliation she brought on herself, ashamed for not having pushed him away sooner. A headache was beginning to bloom between her eyebrows. "God, I'm so _stupid-_ you're getting married in three days, and here we are-"

Kouga stilled and looked down at her. "Wait, what did you say-"

His words were cut short at the sound of a key entering the latch at the front door, and the hanging bell over it chiming brightly. Kagome froze, knowing that she was given a key to lock the store after the fitting with Kouga, and knowing the only person with another set was her boss. Being alone, with a groom, after hours was something she could probably explain her way out of, but not in her current attire. Scrambling back to the fitting room where she changed, Kagome looked behind her to find Kouga waving her off.

"What are you _doing_?!" she whispered harshly, beckoning him to find a place to hide as well.

"Go ahead; I've got this."

Kagome lingered for another moment, and ducked into the fitting room, her rapid breathing the only sound in the tight space. 

"Hello!" Kouga greeted excitedly. Kagome tried to imagine her boss' face as he approached her. She was informed that Kagome had a late night fitting, and was probably looking for her.

"Greetings, Mr. Hayashi, I was just looking for Kagome…"

Cringing from the fitting room, Kagome attempted to unzip the dress herself. If she could manage to get changed quickly, she could make up some excuse for being absent and leaving Kouga alone on the floor.

"She's just finishing up my sales ticket," Kouga told her, not missing a beat. "She's very talented."

"Yes, she is. We're lucky to have her."

"I couldn't agree more. She made this vest, and I have to tell you, it's nothing short of perfect."

There was a pause, and Kagome stilled her movements. She guessed that her boss was examining the piece, and her nervousness began to multiply. It was one thing to love something that you made yourself after staring at it for hours a day, and another to like it at first glance.

"...very interesting…" she heard faintly, and Kagome pulled back the curtain separating the fitting room to look out. She peeked out in enough time to see Kouga's hand move toward her sketchbook, left on a nearby chair. Her gasp was loud enough that she had to duck back in the room to avoid being found out.

"And I haven't seen anyone take this many notes to make a garment; have you?" he asked to the sound of flipping pages. "Kinda makes you wonder what a wedding dress from her would look like…"

Kagome bit back a scream. She'd carefully hidden away her sketches for months, and Kouga managed to get them into her boss' hands without breaking a sweat. She sunk onto the bench attached to the wall of the fitting room, anxiety at the potential scrutiny eating away at her stomach. 

"These are Kagome's drawings?"

"Yeah, I hope she doesn't mind that I took a peek while she wasn't around."

More silence followed, and Kagome's pulse thundered in her ears.

"Well, I just came by to check on something. I'll leave you to your fitting." Kagome tried not to sink at the lack of feedback. Her boss did say that they were lucky to have her, and that, she surmised, should have been enough. 

"Of course; have a good evening."

Kagome almost emerged from her hiding spot when the faint voice of her bods answered back. 

"And, please let Ms. Higurashi know I'll be calling her about her designs in the morning. I'd like to see more of her work."

Stunned into silence and frozen in place, Kagome slumped against the nearest wall, and didn't move until Kouga parted the curtain slowly. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

"Yeah, just a little…"

"Shocked? Yeah, me too." Kouga laughed, taking a seat on the bench next to her. "I was going to say you poked yourself with a pin and had to fashion a tourniquet out of a dress or something."

"Yes, thank you for covering for me...and for, you know, passing along my drawings."

"It's nothing. I meant what I said; they're very good."

"Thanks. I took this job straight out of design school, and, I dunno, maybe I'm expecting too much too soon, but I really just wanted someone to give me a shot. When it didn't, I kind of gave up, and didn't show anyone my work."

"Until now."

Kagome sighed, smiling for the first time since Kouga returned. "Until now."

Kouga's thigh pressed against Kagome's leg and warmed her through the fabric of her dress. She tried to take in air evenly, but the confined space felt all at once stifling, and as he reached for her hand, Kagome sprang from her seat, mentioning his actual sales ticket, and all but ran to the sale counter, nearly tripping over her dress as she went. Her earlier objection rang in her ears, and she repeated it like a chant as she walked away.

Kouga called her name behind her, and followed her behind the sales counter, as she pulled he and Ayame's shared sales file from underneath the register.

"Kagome-"

"Kouga, I-" she started, already out of breath. "Go ahead."

"What...why are you running away from me?" 

Kagome's eyes widened as she held up the crisp white folder with the boutique's name embossed on the front. She could take most of the shame before, but her embarrassment quickly grew into ire. "Because you're getting _married_!"

" _What_?!"

"Oh come _on_ ," Kagome pleaded mockingly. "You wouldn't be the first or last groom to come in here and flirt, but I usually do a better job of not flirting back! And, while I'm happy that you helped me out with my boss, you're getting married in three days, so please allow me to ring you up, and we can forget any of this ever happened."

"Kagome...I'm _not_ getting married." Kouga took a deep breath and stepped closer to her in the tight space behind the counter.

"Oh God...you didn't _leave_ her, did you?"

" _What_?! No, I-"

"Because, I get it; cold feet, and everything...but all _this_ ," Kagome said, gesturing to herself. "Is not worth leaving your fiancée for!"

"I don't have cold feet," Kouga began, squarely. "Because I'm not engaged. Especially not to Ayame."

Kagome opened her mouth and shut it. This happened in quick succession for a whole minute before she could articulate anything coherent.

" _What_?"

"I'm assuming that's 'our file?" Kouga asked, gesturing to the folder underneath Kagome's hand. He nodded for her to open it, and when she did, Kagome found writing in the same color as Ayame's bright hair. The hand that filled out the customary forms was cheerful and swirly, but Kagome's consideration of the handwriting ended when she read the names in the spaces listed for "Bride" and "Groom".

"Who the hell is Inuyasha Takahashi?!" Kagome asked, looking up.

" _That,_ " Kouga began, finally smiling that wolfish grin. "Is my sister's fiancé."

"Your _sister_?" Kagome asked. Kouga nodded at her question, and even with his affirmation, more questions came to mind. "But...you have different last names?"

"Most step-siblings do."

_"He's insisting on wearing his father's tux. Can you believe that? His father's tux from a thousand years ago."_

"But...you come here in the same car…"

Kouga merely shrugged. "She moved in with me after she graduated college...I guess it's kind of second nature for me to drive her around…"

"But...but, she said she knew you better than anybody…"

"She does, but, that's because she's my best friend. And even if she _wasn't_ my best friend, or my stepsister...no, that's just weird." 

Kagome replaced the folder on the countertop, and took a deep breath. "I...am an idiot."

Kouga's laugh was louder than Kagome ever heard it, but sti made her smile, knowing he wasn't laughing at her. "You're not. I applaud your virtue, not getting involved with a man you thought was engaged." A hand slid around Kagome's waist, and this time, she did not fight it. "Though I think I remember hearing something about flirting _back_ …"

Kagome tried to fight the pull of a smile and blush threatening to creep its way up her chest. "Well, if you want to argue semantics…"

Kouga brought his face close to hers, brushing a hand across her jaw. "I don't want to argue at all…" 

Kagome's eyes finally fell closed, and in a moment, Kouga was pressing his lips to hers, the hand at her jaw keeping her still. Her hand found purchase at the small of his back, tugging at the laces of the corset she made for him. 

Kouga parted from her, taking in deep drags of air. "Let me take you to dinner."

Kagome nodded, panting and pressing her forehead to his collarbone. "Okay," was the only word she managed.

"Saturday?"

Kagome's brows fell together as she finally looked up. " _This_ Saturday? As in the same Saturday as your _sister's wedding_?"

Kouga at least had the decency to look sheepish.

"You can't ditch your sister's wedding to go on a date!"

"I was hoping that I could go to my sister's wedding _with_ a date."

Kagome's mouth hung open. "You want our first date to be...a wedding? With all your family and friends there?"

"Yes, _but,_ " Kouga said, holding up a finger to stop any potential objections. "There will also be free food, a dance floor and a photobooth."

Kagome's defenses were breaking, but she didn't want to give in too soon. "I don't know...are you sure you can invite a guest so last minute?" 

Kouga's face went from semi-smug confidence to bashful in a second. "I got the okay for a plus one about...two months ago."

"You did?!"

"Ayame figured out that I liked you and gave me enough time to suss out if you had a boyfriend…"

"Too bad I spent three months thinking you had a fiancée…" Kagome smiled up at him with a bit of pity at their shared embarrassment. 

"Well, it's a good thing we were _both_ wrong." The hand at Kagome's back stilled, allowing the fog in her mind to momentarily clear. "There is one stipulation, though."

"Yeah?"

"You absolutely cannot wear _this_ ," he joked, still thumbing the soft fabric over the small of Kagome's back. She mirrored the gesture, her careful stitching soft and familiar under her own hands. Kagome decided she liked her work best from this angle.

"I think I can whip something up in three days," she said, already taking mental inventory of the fabrics she kept at home, and what patterns she could execute in such a short period of time. 

All such thoughts disappeared when Kouga descended on her again. As her lips parted for him and the space between them closed completely, Kagome decided she definitely needed to venture into designing menswear. The results so far were proving more than satisfying. 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello Lovlies! Hope you liked this prompt! I'm really glad I got it out; it was a little touch and go for a while there! I did not mean for this to be so long, but I'm wordy...I know this, and hopefully you don't mind. My prompts from here on out will be smaller...I think.
> 
> \- The horny seamstress is based off of a real former coworker of mine, who flirted with every man who came into the office, and smoked like a chimney. Standing next to her usually made my eyes water pretty heavily. 
> 
> \- I've decided that I'm not going to use my Beginning/End Notes to apologize or tell you guys what I didn't like about my writing. So, despite things that I wish were different about this, I wrote it, its mine, and I'm putting it out in the world with no negativity attached. Thanks for reading!!


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